Jackson, Miss. (Y’all Politics) – Legislation in the Senate would prevent public employers from requiring applicants to disclose whether or not they have been convicted of a felony crime on an application. This effort is otherwise known as “ban the box.”
“I’ve been working on this piece of legislation for years now,” said bill author Sen. Tammy Witherspoon. “What it does is ban the box on applications that ask, ‘Have you ever been convicted of a felony?’”
While it has not passed in prior sessions, this year Witherspoon said that support for the legislation has been across the board.
When speaking with Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann he also indicated he is in support of the bill. “I mean, I’m going to support the bill,” said Hosemann.
Hosemann added that applicants are asked to be honest with the employer coming forward, but many people aren’t given the opportunity to sit down in front of an employer when they have to check that box on the application.
“I go back to the Bible, let the first one who has not sinned cast the first stone,” said Hosemann. He said these individuals shouldn’t be automatically kicked out of the process because of a mistake from their past where they have already paid the price.
He said he is hopeful it will come out of the Senate.